2011 NBA Playoffs

[loogodude90]

So....why didn't Randolph brick his last free throw with :01.9 left?? Is anyone else scratching thier head at that?

I don't think that would have been such a good idea against a team like the Spurs. If you're playing the Wizards, then fine. But the Spurs are a smart team. If the Spurs got the rebound and called timeout in less than a second (which I think they could pull off), then they still get the ball with enough time to make a 3 to win, or get a 2-point tip-in/quick shot to tie, and you risk committing a foul in that scenario too with all of the commotion close to the basket. Against a team like the Spurs I think you just make the free throw and force them to take a 3. I see what you mean though, and I think there's a decent argument either way.

[knnhrvy16]

So....why didn't Randolph brick his last free throw with :01.9 left?? Is anyone else scratching thier head at that?

I don't think that would have been such a good idea against a team like the Spurs. If you're playing the Wizards, then fine. But the Spurs are a smart team. If the Spurs got the rebound and called timeout in less than a second (which I think they could pull off), then they still get the ball with enough time to make a 3 to win, or get a 2-point tip-in/quick shot to tie, and you risk committing a foul in that scenario too with all of the commotion close to the basket. Against a team like the Spurs I think you just make the free throw and force them to take a 3. I see what you mean though, and I think there's a decent argument either way.

I could be completely wrong (please correct me if I am), but I thought the last timeout for San Antonio was already used. It was a :20, I think. Again, I could be wrong, but that's just what I was thinking at the time. In any case, I do see what you mean. A team as experienced as the Spurs, given they had that timeout, could pull it off, I guess it's just one of those things that we'll never know for sure.

I do think, looking forward, that Memphis has a strong chance of taking the series at home. Their defense is still looking sharp, and home court at FedEx will help them alot. I have nothing at all against the Spurs and have said a few times that I admire thier class and respect them totally, but I would love to see Memphis close it out. I'm a big underdog guy, so to me personally, a Memphis win would be fantastic.

[Cujo]

Once again, the Nuggets can't hold a lead late, and the Oklahoma City Thunder advance to the Western Semis.

[MDC]

Kevin Durant just straight took over that game, ending the series, and sending the Thunder into the second round. Wow, that was really an amazing game. Maybe better than B-Roy a few nights ago

[Rockstar Matt]

Nothing would make me happier than to see the Lakers get run out in the first round, but I too think it won't happen. However, I too could see them getting beat by Oklahoma City or Memphis. Sure, it sounds strange to consider Memphis of all teams as someone who could beat LA, but they're really more dangerous than I think people give them credit for. Their defense has been really impressive during this series with San Antonio, and they've been quietly hot since before the playoffs - I think Kevin McHale said during the game 4 broadcast that the Grizzlies were something like 33-17 since the All-Star break, which is, if I'm not mistaken, only one win less than the Spurs' record since the All-Star break, and that team obviously ended up snagging the top seed. So, I don't see Memphis as any fluke. In my humble opinion, there hasn't been an 8-seed that has played this well since the Knicks in 1999, and we all know how far that team ended up going. We'll see if they can close out the Spurs, but if they do, watch out folks. Not saying they'll win the Finals or anything, but we could witness a deep Grizzlies run.

As for Oklahoma City, they could beat LA because of thier length - essentially beating the Lakers with a taste of thier own medicine, if you will. Most basketball fans know that one of, if not THE greatest asset to the Lakers is thier length. But, you don't hear of OKC's that often - the Thunder were 2nd in the league in blocked shots during the regular season, a testament to both length and great defense. If they play defense as stellar as usual and the Durant/Westbrook duo plays well (which I imagine they would), I could certainly see the Thunder emerging past the Lakers and out of the west. Personally, on a side note, I for one would find a Oklahoma City-Boston matchup very intriguing and entertaining.

What we all should note is that Lakers have a habit of making average teams look good and good teams look bad. We've done this before. Remember Houston in the 2009 playoffs? After Yao went out I thought for sure that we wouldn't lose another game to the Rockets. As we know, the Lakers beat the Rockets in 7, struggled in the first four games against the Nuggets in the Western Finals, then in Game 5 & Game 6 who proceeded to make the Nuggets look bad.

Same as last year. Struggled against the Thunder (an average team with a ton of upside, made them look good), proceeded to destroy a good Jazz team and the rest is history.

Rest assured, this is just Phil making things interesting in his final year.

And if it were a Thunder-Celtics series, I don't think I could bear to watch. With OKC, you have an owner who stole the Sonics and gave them to a region undeserving of this franchise (OKC deserves a team, just not the Sonics) and I couldn't bare to see them win a title. With the Celtics, all it's obvious, I hate to see them win at anything.

[Eye]

Nothing would make me happier than to see the Lakers get run out in the first round, but I too think it won't happen. However, I too could see them getting beat by Oklahoma City or Memphis. Sure, it sounds strange to consider Memphis of all teams as someone who could beat LA, but they're really more dangerous than I think people give them credit for. Their defense has been really impressive during this series with San Antonio, and they've been quietly hot since before the playoffs - I think Kevin McHale said during the game 4 broadcast that the Grizzlies were something like 33-17 since the All-Star break, which is, if I'm not mistaken, only one win less than the Spurs' record since the All-Star break, and that team obviously ended up snagging the top seed. So, I don't see Memphis as any fluke. In my humble opinion, there hasn't been an 8-seed that has played this well since the Knicks in 1999, and we all know how far that team ended up going. We'll see if they can close out the Spurs, but if they do, watch out folks. Not saying they'll win the Finals or anything, but we could witness a deep Grizzlies run.

As for Oklahoma City, they could beat LA because of thier length - essentially beating the Lakers with a taste of thier own medicine, if you will. Most basketball fans know that one of, if not THE greatest asset to the Lakers is thier length. But, you don't hear of OKC's that often - the Thunder were 2nd in the league in blocked shots during the regular season, a testament to both length and great defense. If they play defense as stellar as usual and the Durant/Westbrook duo plays well (which I imagine they would), I could certainly see the Thunder emerging past the Lakers and out of the west. Personally, on a side note, I for one would find a Oklahoma City-Boston matchup very intriguing and entertaining.

What we all should note is that Lakers have a habit of making average teams look good and good teams look bad. We've done this before. Remember Houston in the 2009 playoffs? After Yao went out I thought for sure that we wouldn't lose another game to the Rockets. As we know, the Lakers beat the Rockets in 7, struggled in the first four games against the Nuggets in the Western Finals, then in Game 5 & Game 6 who proceeded to make the Nuggets look bad.

Same as last year. Struggled against the Thunder (an average team with a ton of upside, made them look good), proceeded to destroy a good Jazz team and the rest is history.

Rest assured, this is just Phil making things interesting in his final year.

And if it were a Thunder-Celtics series, I don't think I could bear to watch. With OKC, you have an owner who stole the Sonics and gave them to a region undeserving of this franchise (OKC deserves a team, just not the Sonics) and I couldn't bare to see them win a title. With the Celtics, all it's obvious, I hate to see them win at anything.

Why do you keep saying "we"? You're a rockstar, not a basketball player.

[tvko]

Hawks move on as Redick chokes.

[dfwabel]

Hawks move on as Redick chokes.

Hedo was terrible the entire series. More his fault than one guy missing one late game shot.

[TFoA]

What a difference a year makes. Sorry, Jameer Nelson. Looks like you're gonna have to buy a ticket to see Derrick Rose in the 2nd round. Sorry, Mike Bianchi. Looks like the Birdbrains were in their right mind tonight.

The Bulls series is gonna SUCCCCKKKKKKKK, but I'm happy that they totally made up for that stinkbomb they dropped against the Magic last year.

[The_Admiral]

Rose still has that bad ankle. Hawks can make a series of it. They looked good against Orlando after a month of resigned-to-fifth-place sandbagging.

[dfwabel]

What a difference a year makes. Sorry, Jameer Nelson. Looks like you're gonna have to buy a ticket to see Derrick Rose in the 2nd round. Sorry, Mike Bianchi. Looks like the Birdbrains were in their right mind tonight.

The Bulls series is gonna SUCCCCKKKKKKKK, but I'm happy that they totally made up for that stinkbomb they dropped against the Magic last year.

Regardless of who won ORL/ATL, the basketball world knew that the "Varsity Series" was MIA/BOS or MIA/NYK. A series that mismatched cannot assist the Bulls, but who cares! MIA/BOS!!!

[Rockstar Matt]

What we all should note is that Lakers have a habit of making average teams look good and good teams look bad. We've done this before. Remember Houston in the 2009 playoffs? After Yao went out I thought for sure that we wouldn't lose another game to the Rockets. As we know, the Lakers beat the Rockets in 7, struggled in the first four games against the Nuggets in the Western Finals, then in Game 5 & Game 6 who proceeded to make the Nuggets look bad.

Same as last year. Struggled against the Thunder (an average team with a ton of upside, made them look good), proceeded to destroy a good Jazz team and the rest is history.

Rest assured, this is just Phil making things interesting in his final year.

And if it were a Thunder-Celtics series, I don't think I could bear to watch. With OKC, you have an owner who stole the Sonics and gave them to a region undeserving of this franchise (OKC deserves a team, just not the Sonics) and I couldn't bare to see them win a title. With the Celtics, all it's obvious, I hate to see them win at anything.

Why do you keep saying "we"? You're a rockstar, not a basketball player.

I say we because I've been supporting them since I was 2. And if it weren't for us fans, professional sports wouldn't exist.

And thanks for noticing my choice as a career. That BringBackTheVet dude for some reason thought tried to tell me that I'm not a musician. I found it rather amusing.

[Rockstar Matt]

I give major props to New Orleans. They played one helluva series curtsy of CP3 and Trevor. And I hate seeing Ariza in any uniform besides a Lakers one. He needs to come back. I hated seeing him play the Lakers. He's an LA man, and he needs to come back.

[dfwabel]

His numbers are down since the regular season, but lack of Laker success may have more to do with that Odom/Kardashian marriage than we know.

From the story:

One of the show's themes, even from the arrangement of names in the title, is that the Kardashian women are powerful enough to even push around an NBA star. I'm wondering how Odom can watch or hear about himself portrayed in this manner, then go out and easily become the aggressor on the basketball court.

At one point in one of the first two episodes, Odom loses a battle with one of Khloe's immature power plays and can only say, "What kind of preschool [bleep] is that?" At another point, he is shown phoning his agent and, with a hint of desperation, asking about his chances of making the All-Star team. Then there are the scenes that show his distress over his relationship with his long-lost father, including one chilling moment in which Khloe phones Odom's dad and un-invites him to a Lakers game because Lamar wouldn't be comfortable.

It's raw, it's painful, it sometimes shows Odom as being even softer than the reputation of Pau Gasol and, as a motivational tool, it stinks.

On the night of the show's Sunday debut, Odom barely shows up in the loss to Oklahoma City, scoring seven points with three rebounds. The following Sunday before the airing of the second episode, Odom arrived late for the Lakers' first postseason game, then slogged his way to 10 points and just one rebound in the loss to New Orleans.

Granted, the sample size of those statistics is far too small to use for a conclusion, but it's so unnerving watching Odom stripped bare of his NBA persona, even most of his teammates have pointedly not watched.

[Still MIGHTY]

Go away, dfwabel. And anything Bill Plaschke says is taken with a grain of salt...

----

Anyways, finally, there's the Lakers we know. Hats off to CP3 and the Hornets, but the better team finally showed itself and won.

Next series isn't going to be any easier with Portland or Dallas. Gotta hope this series is taking some sort of toll on either team. But if the Lakers have found themselves again, I'm more than confident that they'll move on.

LET'S GO LAKE SHOW!

[dfwabel]

Go away, dfwabel. And anything Bill Plaschke says is taken with a grain of salt...

----

Anyways, finally, there's the Lakers we know. Hats off to CP3 and the Hornets, but the better team finally showed itself and won.

Next series isn't going to be any easier with Portland or Dallas. Gotta hope this series is taking some sort of toll on either team. But if the Lakers have found themselves again, I'm more than confident that they'll move on.

LET'S GO LAKE SHOW!

I want the Lakers to win, but Odom's numbers are lower from the regular seasonand THAT family cannot help his psyche and seeing it aired during the playoffs does not help. Especially when brother in law thinks the NBA playoffs are rigged.

[Still MIGHTY]

Go away, dfwabel. And anything Bill Plaschke says is taken with a grain of salt...

----

Anyways, finally, there's the Lakers we know. Hats off to CP3 and the Hornets, but the better team finally showed itself and won.

Next series isn't going to be any easier with Portland or Dallas. Gotta hope this series is taking some sort of toll on either team. But if the Lakers have found themselves again, I'm more than confident that they'll move on.

LET'S GO LAKE SHOW!

I want the Lakers to win, but Odom's numbers are lower from the regular seasonand THAT family cannot help his psyche and seeing it aired during the playoffs does not help. Especially when brother in law thinks the NBA playoffs are rigged.

And you're acting just like Plaschke in the article...

Granted, the sample size of those statistics is far too small to use for a conclusion, but...

It's a small sample size and nothing that can be taken too seriously unless it continues into the next round. But even realizing it's a small size, there is the "but..." and you go on with a conclusion.

Did you not notice that Lamar's 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists tonight? 3rd most minutes on the team with 32 minutes and 4th in points? Pretty good night coming off the bench. Very effective. Lamar is absolutely fine.

[MDC]

He's the freaking 6th man of the year; he has nothing to worry about. Thats just a stupid article to begin with.

Anyways, heres to a good series, Atlanta. I hope D-Rose, Luol "The Sudanese Sensation" Deng, and The Bogans 3-point Show take it to my favorite player not in Chicago (Jamal Crawford)

[rainmaker17]

Do all Laker fans expect to win the title every year, or just the ones on this board?

[Lights Out]

Do all Laker fans expect to win the title every year, or just the ones on this board?

No, pretty much all Lakers fans are that arrogant. It's gone beyond expecting a title to feeling entitled to a title in the past few years.